Teaching is a very important and respected profession, and no one can deny its importance in society. Teachers shape the minds and careers of their students, and they promote their pupils to be better people.
Teachers can change lives, and they can guide their students through the hardships of life and make them strong, competent and respectable citizens of the society.
In your life as a student, you most likely came across a lot of different teachers. Some teachers must have been very good at what they do, and it must have been easy to understand what they were teaching. But, on the other hand, you most likely had to encounter some teachers who weren’t as good.
Teaching may seem like a simple task, but if you want to be an effective and sincere teacher, then a lot of hard work lies ahead of you. There are a lot of things you need to learn to become a teacher who can authentically help students and give them valuable knowledge.
While education is a very difficult field, it is also very rewarding, apart from the long vacations and handsome salaries, teaching will also give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, as it is a very noble job.
So, if you are looking for some tips to improve your teaching skills, here is a list of some of the most effective teaching techniques that you need to start employing in the classroom.
- Adaptability
Adaptability is one of the essential skills that you need to have to be a good teacher. As a teacher, you may have to face many situations that you aren’t prepared for; for example, a student may get injured, or start feeling sick, you need to be able to come to the rescue and save the day immediately.
Apart from accidents and unforeseen situations, the infrastructure of teaching is changing quite rapidly, and any effective teacher needs to be able to adapt to such changes.
You should also know that all the students in your class won’t be the same; some of them may be very quick in learning everything, while others may require some extra attention. A good teacher must be able to adapt to the specific needs of their students and change their teaching style if necessary.
- Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is another skill that is necessary for a teacher. A good teacher has to understand that there are many things that a student has to go through besides their education, and they might need some help and guidance to get through their problems.
In a senior class, there usually isn’t that much of an emotional connection between the students and the teachers, and as college students usually are quite mature, there isn’t that much of a need for an emotional connection either.
But, if you are teaching younger students, in high school or lower grades, then emotional intelligence is very important. A teacher should try to understand the emotions and the mindset of their students and try to improve the class accordingly.
Other than teaching the syllabus effectively, a good teacher also needs to build the social character of the students, and it is not possible if the teacher does not have emotional intelligence.
- Lecture Preparation
As a student, I had the pleasure of learning from many amazing and effective teachers, but every once in a while, there was one teacher who would teach the class just by reading the slides or the textbook back to us. Most of the times, if a student asked such a teacher a question; they weren’t prepared to answer it either.
These teachers had to face these problems because they did not prepare their lectures. Sure, you can teach a class without any preparation at the preschool or middle-school level, but if you are teaching higher-level students in high school or college, you need to prepare your lectures before the class.
I, myself, go through my lecture at least once, even if I have taught the same course several times before. When I am preparing my lectures, I still learn new concepts and ideas that I wasn’t aware of before. During my preparation, I also try to anticipate the questions that the students may ask. It allows me to answer and explain anything that the students may ask, and it allows me to give my students the quality education that they deserve.
- A Mindset of Constant Learning and Improving
It is the most important skill that any effective teacher needs to have. In fact, this skill is one of the major contributing factors that make a teacher effective.
Only because you’re a teacher now, you shouldn’t stop learning. A successful teacher should always have a will to keep learning, improving and evolving. As new discoveries and advancements are made in the field of education, a skilled teacher should be able to learn new teaching techniques and apply them in the classroom.
- Confidence
It doesn’t really matter what your profession is if you want to succeed and get to the top, you need to develop some confidence. Confidence is an essential skill for a successful and worthwhile teacher.
As a teacher, of course, you need to have the confidence to stand in front of a class and talk. Now, it is easier at smaller levels when you are teaching young children and that too, in a class of limited students. But, as you move to higher levels, the size of your classes starts to increase, you have to teach more difficult and advanced concepts, and your students are also more educated as well.
To teach at a higher level, it is essential to be confident, and confidence is gained through preparation and practice. Apart from confidence in yourself, you also need to have confidence in your fellow colleges and support staff. It is also a critical attribute of a successful teacher.
- Enthusiasm
Have you ever been in a class, where you just can’t help yourself from drowsing off? In my time as a student, I have attended many classes in which you could hardly stay awake. You may think that some subjects like history are generally very dull, but the attitude and teaching methods of the teacher also have a major impact on making a class exciting.
A competent teacher needs to keep their lectures exciting and engaging. You can make your classes more fun, simply by talking more enthusiastically. You should also aim to make your lectures more interactive.
- Discipline
Maintaining discipline is one of the most crucial skills that every teacher needs to have. Now, there are many different ways that teachers use to maintain discipline in their class. Some teachers are very strict, while some are very friendly with the students.
In my experience, the best method is to stay in the middle, you should not be too strict, but you also shouldn’t be too friendly either. There should always be a boundary between the teacher and the student if you want to maintain discipline in the class.
Also, discipline maintenance techniques change as you start teaching at higher levels, so you need to adjust your teaching methods accordingly.
- Leadership Skills
Competent and effective teachers need to have some leadership skills so that they can guide and lead their students. A successful teacher needs to be able to manage different personalities, including overachieving and misbehaving students and steer them into the correct direction.
Teachers need to lead their students by example and be a role model for them, which is why leadership qualities are essential.
- A Global Mindset
In the current day and age, teachers need to develop an open and global mindset. They should be learning about different cultures and countries and promoting their students to do the same.
In this diverse age, you will most likely have a class with students from different cultures and ethnicities. A global mindset will allow you to connect to these students more effectively and it will also enable you to promote cooperation among the class and ultimately, the world.
These days, you can also go to foreign countries to teach common languages like English, to people from different cultures. It is an excellent way to learn more about different languages and have a first-hand experience of the various cultures of the world. Also, if you are a fan of traveling, then it can be the perfect job for you.
All you need to do is get a TEFL certification, and you can apply for teaching jobs in countries like China, South Korea, Japan and many more. The TEFL certification cost isn’t too high and it will also add a lot of significance to your resume. You will be able to get better opportunities by getting a TEFL certification.
- Patience
Patience is an essential and important skill that is crucial when you are teaching young children and teenagers. Not all of your students will be well behaved. You are surely going to encounter some trouble makers along the way. You will need to be understanding and patient if you want to deal with such students and help them.
Also, if some of your students have difficulty learning, you will need to be patient with them to teach them effectively.